1. Buffalo Bills: They have been the best team in this division since 2020. Three consecutive division titles, trips to the playoffs and a trip to the AFC Championship have all happened. For a team that’s labeled as a contender, the Buffalo Bills have fallen short of the ultimate goal which is winning a Super Bowl. They have everything in place to get to the big game. A top three Quarterback in Josh Allen, an elite Wide Receiver in Stefon Diggs and a defense that’s been one of the best in the NFL. Last year was a lot for this team. Von Miller was signed to help put this team over the top. He unfortunately tears his ACL and is out for the remainder of the year. Then, Damar Hamlin suffered Cardiac Arrest after making a tackle. The Bills were emotionally gassed by the end of the year and it caught up to them in the playoffs where they fell short to the Bengals in the divisional round in the playoffs. It’s another year and the hype is surrounding this team once again.
2. Miami Dolphins: This is an underrated group and it’s understandable why they’d fly under the radar, especially in the conference they’re in with Buffalo, Kansas City, Cincinnati and Baltimore to name a few. The Dolphins believe in Tua Tagovailoa and put weapons around him to succeed last year by acquiring Tyreek Hill from the Kansas City Chiefs which gave him a tandem of Cheetah and Jaylen Waddle. Miami started 3-0 at one point last season, then the head injuries to Tua took place. Rookie Head Coach Mike McDaniel was able to keep this team afloat and helped lead the Dolphins to a playoff berth for the first time since 2016. They gave the Bills all they could handle, but fell short in Wild Card Weekend. This off-season, Miami made a splash and acquired Jalen Ramsey from the Los Angeles Rams. The possible tandem of Jalen and Xavien Howard will cause problems for many passing attacks. I can’t wait to see this duo and how they play off one another.
3. New England Patriots: Since Tom Brady announced he wasn’t returning to the New England Patriots, they have only made the playoffs once. Their last playoff victory came in 2018. It was Super Bowl 53 when they defeated the Los Angeles Rams. Since then, it’s been a struggle. In today’s NFL, you must be able to push the football up the field and score. They don’t have any receivers that scare you nor have they put much around Mac Jones to succeed. For New England to win football games, they take the old school approach which is running the ball, playing strong defense and winning with Special Teams. Never in a million years did I ever think the Patriots would enter the year as the worst team in the AFC East, especially after how they dominated the division for so many years. My, how times have changed.
4. New York Jets: They got off to a strong start last year. To be honest, I was getting flashbacks of the 2009 teams under Rex Ryan. This group had that same build. A defensive minded Head Coach in Robert Saleh, a stand out defender in Sauce Gardner, they ran the football well with Breece Hall and the defense as a whole played well. What hurt the Jets last season was inconsistency at the most import position which is Quarterback. Zach Wilson wasn’t the answer and Mike White couldn’t keep them in many games. Despite that, Garrett Wilson was still consistent and was named Offensive Rookie of the Year. Now, the Jets have hopefully solved their Quarterback issues. Aaron Rodgers was acquired from the Green Bay Packers and on paper, he turns them into a playoff team, a place they haven’t been since 2010. Doesn’t this feel a lot like 2008 all over again? Back then, the Jets made a trade with the Packers and acquired Brett Favre. 15 years later, history repeats itself.
2023 Predictions
1. Bills (12-5)
2. Jets (10-7)
3. Dolphins (9-8)
4. Patriots (7-10)
I’m still picking the Buffalo Bills to win this division for a fourth consecutive season. I’m not ready to give the Jets the division, although I have them making the playoffs. The Bills are more developed and cohesive as a team at this moment. They have a defense that can create problems for many offenses and the firepower on offense to push them ahead in games. The one issue I still have is how they depend on Josh Allen too much to bail them out. When they’re up, he’s doing everything and when they’re trailing, he’s doing it all. Balance will be their kryptonite tonight and it’ll keep them from making another run in the playoffs.
